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Time to rank your Spotify Wrapped, Hinge Wrapped, and DFP Wrapped.
Hey, besties. It’s been a wild, wild ride in 2022. And we’re not just talking about the season finale of White Lotus or the Don’t Worry, Darling press tour. From the Inflation Reduction Act to student debt relief, a lot’s gone on this year — and Data for Progress polled it all.
So, in between drinking copious amounts of wine as you prepare to run into your ex at your hometown Whole Foods, take a gander at 22 of Data for Progress’ highlights of 2022.
Here are some highlights from DFP this Year:
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We held hypocritical corporations accountable for donating to anti-LGBTQ+ politicians. Hi, they’re the problem.
Large corporations like Amazon, Toyota, and AT&T love to say they support the LGBTQ+ community, especially during Pride. However, they also love donating thousands of dollars to anti-LGBTQ+ politicians. Seems a little hypocritical to us!
This year, we conducted research tracking donations from pride sponsors and Fortune 500 companies to politicians that support anti-LGBTQ+ policies. We found that Pride sponsors like Toyota ($601,500), AT&T ($307,137.52), and Comcast ($121,350) have donated to anti-LGBTQ+ campaigns.
We also found 54% of voters disapprove of corporations making donations to lawmakers who support anti-LGBTQ+ policies. This includes 73% of Democrats, 61% of Independents, and 32% of Republicans. Voter’s approval of a corporation also drops significantly after informing them of contributions to anti-LGBTQ+ lawmakers. For example, while 86% of voters initially had a favorable view of Lowe’s, only 49% had a favorable view after hearing about their donations.
You can read the full memo here.
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Apparently, corporations didn’t get the memo the first time around, so we held them accountable AGAIN for donating to anti-abortion politicians.
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, companies far and wide jumped to say that they would cover expenses if their employees need to travel out of state for an abortion. That’s great! We love that! What’s not great is what we discovered next. Data for Progress finds that some of those same companies donated to anti-choice politicians. How interesting.
You know what would be better than covering out-of-state abortions? Not donating to the politician that forced people to get abortions out of state. Companies like United Healthcare Group ($1,155,850), Ford Motor ($260,550), and Wells Fargo ($246,050) have all donated to lawmakers who have sponsored anti-abortion legislation.
We also found 65% of voters disapprove of corporations that donate to lawmakers who sponsor anti-abortion legislation. This includes 78% of Democrats, 72% of Independents, and 47% of Republicans. When voters hear about a corporation's donation to anti-abortion politicians, their favorability of a company declines. For example, 84% of voters had a favorable view of Amazon; however, only 48% of voters had a favorable view after hearing about their donations.
So corporations, you can’t hide your donations to anti-choice politicians behind vague promises and expressions of support for abortion rights. We see what you’re doing and we don’t approve.
You can read the full memo here.
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In your car, on self-care Trader Joe’s trips, during your hot girl walks, we were always with you On Offense.
A lot of great entertainment came out of 2022. We got to see Jennifer Coolidge [SPOILER ALERT] go on a yacht murder-spree in Italy, Florence Pugh slowly discover that Harry Styles is an incel, and TikTok turn a girl’s gruesome murder into a very catchy song.
And of course, the best content to come out of 2022: Data for Progress’ On Offense podcast. In our bi-weekly podcast, DFP’s Political Director Marcela Mulholland and Communications Director McKenzie Wilson broke down our weekly message testing on everything from climate change to the unfortunate tragedy that is Rick Scott.
If you haven’t checked On Offense out yet, go give it a binge listen and learn about how Democrats can talk about issues in the most persuasive way possible.
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We also went on offense to protect and expand abortion rights. Republicans are not Messi. They will be playing defense.
After the leaked draft of the mind-boggling Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health opinion was released in May, Data for Progress released a playbook for states to protect and expand abortion access. Our recommendations included supporting people forced to travel for care, expanding Medicaid and insurance coverage of abortion, reducing cost as a barrier to care, and ending abortion stigma and misinformation. And although not included in the memo, we also unofficially recommend tweeting mean things about Justice Alito for self-care.
Data for Progress found 68% of voters think it’s important to protect abortion in their state, including 85% of Democrats, 71% of Independents, and 49% of Republicans.
You can read the full memo here.
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We discovered that voters realize the Earth is quickly burning and we should probably do something about it.
After years of the Trump administration treating climate change like the “this is fine” dog casually watching its house burn, Data for Progress found that voters are in favor of saving the planet. What a shocking twist! 65% of voters support the Inflation Reduction Act, which is the largest piece of climate legislation in US history. This includes 89% of Democrats, 61% of Independents, and 43% of Republicans.
60% of voters also believe that Congress should take additional actions to address climate change, including 88% of Democrats, 66% of Independents, and 34% of Republicans.
Voters are clearly in favor of taking action so we have a planet to live on for a bit longer. And honestly, we’re just too tired to relocate to Mars at this point.
Read the full blog and polling here.
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We asked voters if they associate certain issues with one party. And they said absolutely I do.
Republicans are associated with a lot of things. Treating the NRA like their personal trust fund, begging people to clap for their own speeches, and campaign ads that essentially walked straight out of the SNL writer’s room. In a survey from this year, Data for Progress also found voters associate Republicans with issues like banning abortion and increasing military spending. On the other hand, they associate Democrats with expanding tax cuts and raising taxes on wealthy and large corporations.
Compared to the Republican Party, Democrats are strongly associated with issues like the $15 minimum wage, clean energy investments, and requiring background checks for gun sales. Meanwhile, 73% of voters associate Republicans with increasing patrols on the U.S.-Mexico border. Just 8 percent of voters associate increasing patrols with Democrats — giving Republicans a -65-point margin. Considering the whole “build a wall” bit Trump was going on and on and on about for a while, that adds up.
It’s important to track which party issues are associated with so we can understand how messages are landing. As long as Democrats stay far away from awkward campaign moments like how to make crudites with Dr. Oz, we’re solid.
Read the full blog and polling here.
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Voters want contraception to stay, stay, stay.
In the decision for Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, we got an interesting little tidbit from Justice Thomas that threatened other privacy rights, such as the right to contraception and same-sex marriage. So while we’re still living in a world where women have the right to be in excruciating pain while getting their IUD, we asked voters if they support the Right to Contraception Act.
We found 82% of voters support the Right to Contraception Act, including 89% of Democrats, 80% of Independents, and 76% of Republicans. There aren’t a lot of issues that a majority of Republicans and Democrats agree on, so Justice Thomas may want to take a seat and rewrite some of his opinions.
Read the full blog and polling here
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Us after seeing polls of the Inflation Reduction Act: popular, you’re gonna be pop-u-LAR.
The Inflation Reduction Act certainly has a lot going for it. Not only is it the largest piece of climate legislation in U.S. history, but it also creates new clean energy technologies and jobs and enjoys bipartisan support. Not many bills can say that. Good job, bestie!
Data for Progress found 73% of voters support the Inflation Reduction, including 95% of Democrats, 73% of Independents, and 52% of Republicans. That’s Regina-George-levels of popularity.
Read the full blog and polling here.
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Crushing student loan debt was out of style in 2022. Forgiving debt was in.
The Biden administration made a lot of people very happy when they announced their student debt relief plan that would forgive $10,000 of debt for borrowers earning no more than $125,000 and $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients. Nice!!
Although the plan has been held up in the courts thanks to Republicans who oppose supporting education and our nation’s future (the same Republicans who received PPP loan forgiveness, fyi) the plan is still very popular amongst voters.
64% of voters support covering borrowers’ unpaid monthly interest and 61% of voters support lowering payments on undergraduate loans from 10% to 5% of income. So while we’re still fighting for this one, please forward all of our student loan bills to Ted Cruz, thanks.
Read the full blog and polling here.
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Voters support common-sense policies, like common-sense gun control (@ republicans).
Data for Progress found voters are in favor of common-sense gun control policies, like banning assault weapons and creating stronger background checks. While the bipartisan agreement over the summer included funding for states to enact red flag laws, voters still think Congress needs to go further.
68% of voters support banning the sale of military-grade assault weapons, including 86% of Democrats, 65% of Independents, and 51% of Republicans. So even when Republican voters are in favor of stricter gun control policies, Republicans in Congress still love bending over for the NRA.
Read the full blog and polling here.
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If your name is Justice Alito, you should worry (darling) because a majority of voters oppose overturning Roe v. Wade.
Unfortunately, fraternity presidents apparently go through a stricter vetting process than Supreme Court justices. This is the only possible explanation for Brett Kavanaugh ending up on the Supreme Court and Clarence Thomas vibing out while his wife plans an insurrection. Regardless, decisions like overturning Roe v. Wade don’t pass the vibe check, according to us and the majority of voters.
We found 57% of voters opposed the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, including 81% of Democrats, 57% of Independents, and 31% of Republicans. There doesn’t seem to be a logical explanation for this decision, so voters definitely get the feeling that political preference may be outweighing constitutional merits. Lovely.
Read the full blog and polling here.
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Out with the old (USICA), in with the new (CHIPS)
Goodbye clouds of grey, hello billions of dollars in economic growth! Americans wanted fabulous, and Democrats delivered the CHIPS and Science Act, finally investing in the research and production of semiconductor chips in America. Back in March, the Data for Progress Jobs Model found that the legislation could add $287 billion to the U.S. GDP and 2.8 million new jobs — the largest investment in science and technology since the space program. That’s not to mention the money we’ll save on our computers, cars, cell phones, and even those fancy refrigerators with TV screens on them.
Read the full report here.
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They’re CHIPS, not crisps
We may have only held the English to a 0-0 tie in the World Cup this year, but let’s be honest, Americans still have better food, better style, and better investments in semiconductor production.
Our polling found that 84% of voters agree that it is important to invest in the domestic production of semiconductor chips instead of relying on production in other countries – including majorities of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans.
Look, the British have taken a lot of Ls this year. Will football ever come home? Will they ever get rid of the old racist family that’s ruling their country? Will they ever beat the United States in research and innovation? Probably not. God bless America – land of the free, home of brand new shiny semiconductor factories.
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It’s not Cruella de Vil’s world and we refuse to live in it!!
The D.C. Council recently heard oral arguments on the Fur Products Prohibition Act of 2022, which would help end the inhumane practice of raising animals for the sole purpose of producing fur. Voters are increasingly concerned about animal welfare and are rejecting products that use real fur. Did no one else watch 101 Dalmatians?? Or at least Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde?? We need to protect these animals! We’re disappointing Elle Woods!!
We found 66% of voters said they would support a phased or immediate national fur sales ban. This includes 78% of Democrats, 66% of Independents, and 53% of Republicans.
It’s time to stop literally being the villains and implement a national fur ban.
Read the full report here.
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Young voters are ready to be out with the old, in with the new, Sharpay Evans style.
If you’ve watched any C-SPAN recently (it’s fine, you can admit that you have, it’s just us) then you might have noticed that the average age in the Senate is 64. 64.3 to be exact. Unsurprisingly, young people don’t exactly feel represented in Congress and they’re over it. No amount of TikToks by a Senator’s social team will change the fact that the people in Congress who are much, much older than them may not understand which issues are important to Gen Z.
70% of 18-to-29-year-olds feel that their generation is underrepresented in Congress, including 67% of Democrats, 76% of Independents, and 51% of Republicans. So while we definitely do encourage Senators to keep making TikToks (we’re looking at you Daddy Ossoff), let’s also prioritize issues that are important to young people, like climate change and abortion rights!
Read the full report here.
16. Voters of color showed up for the Democratic Party (again).
In Democrats on Offense: Messages That Win, our post-election report, DFP explored the ways in which this crucial coalition of voters showed up to deliver a historic midterm election performance for Democrats.
Data for Progress also conducted a poll of Asian American, Latina/o, and Black voters — crucial voting blocs for Democrats — between October 27 and November 2, just ahead of the midterm elections. Examining party trust, issue priorities, general election attitudes, and policy preferences, we found these voters were most concerned about issues like inflation (34%), gun control (34%), and abortion rights (29%). Abortion was the top issue for Asian Americans and the second-most important issue for Black voters.
Read the full report here.
17. Weed love to see it.
While 4/20 may not be a federal holiday quite yet, President Biden made a very lit decision (sorry) when he announced that that he would pardon all federal offenses of marijuana possession, called on governors across the country to do the same on the state level, and directed the secretary of health and human services to begin the process of reviewing how marijuana is classified under federal law.
A survey conducted by Data for Progress showed that 72 percent of voters support Biden’s pardons. This includes 88 percent of Democrats, 74 percent of Independents, and 55 percent of Republicans.
Read the full blog and poll here.
18. We told Ticketmaster to calm down.
We at the Data for Progress team were devastated by the difficulty of acquiring tickets for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and have been resigned to our fate of joining Seeking Arrangements to afford resale tickets. Partially in thanks to the merger between Live Nation and Ticketmaster, ticket prices have skyrocketed in general. Our polling found that 71% of voters say they are concerned about the total cost of tickets, including 75% of Democrats, 67% of Independents, and 69% of Republicans.
We also found 68% of voters support breaking up Live Nation and Ticketmaster, including 77% of Democrats, 66% of Independents, and 62% of Republicans. Let’s be honest, we all knew the Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger was trouble when it walked in and the DOJ should break up the monopoly so we can all watch Taylor shimmer on the Eras Tour. Wouldn’t that be (“Bejeweled” voice) nice?!
Read the full blog and polling here.
19. Voters s(l)ay love is love.
Our polling shows that a majority of voters supported federal protections for marriage equality, in the form of the Respect for Marriage Act, by a +29-point margin. Additionally, voters under the age of 45 support the bill by 14 more points than voters under 45, by a +38-point margin and a +24-point margin respectively.
President Biden and Democrats in congress clearly took notice! They passed the bill and signed it into law earlier this year.
Read the full blog here.
20. A lot of things got canceled this year (besides some of your favorite shows)
Whether it was your favorite show or your new least favorite comedian, you probably learned about the cancellation through some form of media.
Our polling found that people’s opinions on cancel culture are heavily influenced by the media that they consume. The concept of cancel culture has filtered throughout the mainstream, regardless of partisanship. According to a poll by Data for Progress, 74 percent of voters are aware of cancel culture, including 73 percent of Democrats, 76 percent of independents, and 72 percent of Republicans.
However, it’s clear that consumption of right-wing media is most indicative of someone’s awareness of cancel culture. While the number of people who do not consume right-wing news and have heard of cancel culture is still relatively high at 70 percent, the percentage rises for those who watch Fox News (76 percent) and OANN or Newsmax (91 percent).
Read the full poll here.
21. Senior citizens can have some benefits, as a treat.
In 2022, we found that voters really really care about Social Security. Turns out, people think the elderly should not have to live in poverty after working for their entire lives! A novel idea, we know.
You might think that it’s weird that the mid-20s writers of this newsletter care about Social Security, but may we remind you that Social Security is very popular with old people and old people vote. And guess what y’all? Voters strongly back Democrats’ plans to protect and expand Social Security vs. Republicans’ plan of letting Grandma go without heat in the winter or insulin.
Our polling finds that after learning about the different plans for Social Security — that Republicans want to change Social Security and Democrats want to expand benefits — 57% of voters say they would vote for the Democratic candidate.
Read the full poll here.
22. Some Professional News!
DFP announced Danielle Deiseroth as our new Interim Executive Director! Danielle joined the Data for Progress team in 2020 and has built our climate and environmental polling practice into a critical resource for the climate movement.
A proud native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Danielle is a graduate of Columbia University, where she studied chemical and environmental engineering (we have to stan a woman in STEM).
We’re incredibly excited to have Danielle at the helm as we continue Data for Progress’ polling work supporting legislation and candidates that will protect our planet and our democracy alongside all of you.
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